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Originally posted by JRutledge
There is a baseball player in our area that recently got drafted by the Boston Red Sox. This pitcher's team was in the State Finals this season and lost their first game. I did not hear anyone complaining that this kid would skip college (he had a scholarship to Arizona State waiting for him) and go right to the pros.
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Baseball has a well developed farm system. In going to the pros, it is not a produce now or get cut situation. They can send them off the a minor league team to gain the needed experience. For the player, it's a win-win situation. They can get the experience and get paid.
Not so with basketball. You get drafted (2nd round) and don't make the roster, you get cut. There are foreign leagues but it's not quite the same as the MLB and minor leagues where the MLB team has an interest in the minor league team developing the player.
Quote:
Originally posted by JRutledge
But when it comes to these inner-city kids, many seem to have a big problem if the players want to consider the jump from high school to the pros. When it is the rich and affluent white kids, they can play tennis and baseball and no one blinks and eye to the maturity level and going pro.
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It has nothing to with where they grew up. It's usually silly for a kid to declare based on high school performance against high school competition. The number that can cut it is very small. Those that are affected will still get their shot after a year wait.
The point with basketball is that when a high school player goes into the draft, they throw away the opportunity for a free education and a place to gain experience....likely $0 for a majority of them. The pros will still be there after a year or two of college and they will know a lot better if they can cut it with the higher competition.
Affluency also has nothing to do with playing baseball or tennis. They're no more expensive than basketball. There are several free tennis courts around that anyone can play on. However, affluent white kids choose those sports.
Also, the affluent kid is taking a much smaller risk in attempting to go pro since they likely have alternative means of getting into college rather than depending on sport scholarship.
Quote:
Originally posted by JRutledge
The young Russian female tennis player that won Wimbledon last year was 17 or 18 when she won the tournament. No one is talking about her maturity and how she can handle her millions.
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Is that because very few people follow tennis?
[Edited by Camron Rust on Jun 22nd, 2005 at 11:39 PM]